I think Brazil have been entertaining in just 3 of the last 11 tournaments, it just so happens that two of those tournaments happen to be the most talked about international teams of all-time - 1970 and 1982. It's frequently overlooked that the teams in between those tournaments were functional, uninspired and very cynical. Aside from Rivelino, Jarzinho, Dirceu and Marinho Chagas (a LB), they really didn't have any players that captured the imagination at all. In '74 they managed just 6 goals in 6 group games despite playing in a group with Zaire in the first round (who Yugoslavia scored 9 goals against). In '78 they managed 8 goals in 6 group games plus 2 more in the 3rd place play-off. People talk about 2002 being functional with a few stars adding class in the final third, but in the mid-70s they hardly even had one star.
Then post-'82 Sócrates, Zico, Junior and Falcao were all in their 30s with the the Muller-Careca partnership up top being the closest thing to the star quality in '86 and '90 and that has been the way they've set up ever since. The holding midfielders play a very prominent role in the team in laying the groundwork for Bebeto-Romario and Rivaldo-Ronaldo. Ronaldinho was good in 2002 but nothing special, and the 2002 team as a whole wasn't particularly exciting. In 2006 they had Ronaldo, Kaká, Ronaldinho and Adriano but weren't great to watch and in 2010 their best players were a post-injury Kaká and a very inconsistent Robinho.
For me since 1970 the only truly exciting teams Brazil have had are '82 and '98. In that timeframe even Poland have had just as many exciting teams (if not more) never mind the likes of Holland, Germany etc.
